Yeah me!!!!

So it's only 11am and I have already accomplished something for the day! (considering I slept in until 9am, this is a big deal) I am not technologically advanced, yet I am very jealous of other people's beautiful blogs. I've been searching all day for ways to make my blog, "prettier." The simplest thing I could find were the blog buttons. And I just made one. Go me. Not very exciting for those of you that understand code and all that, but a big step for me. We'll see where this can lead!

On another note, I have finally determined that having a six month old lab puppy is what I imagine would be like having a three year old, on steroids, hopped up on sugar, that thinks he can fly. Coen is literally jumping his way around my house this morning from piece of furniture to piece of furniture (and he is only allowed on a small covered section of the couch).

http://www.wesmasonphotography.blogspot.com/

 A little while ago I heard a ruckus in my living room. Coen was doing his talking (yipping barks) and my ten year old cat was growling and yowling. This is pretty normal in my house, but it got continuously louder. I walked in the room to find Coen lying on top of a huge quilt that I had recently washed for my mom, with the cat buried somewhere inside. I mean, what can be more fun for a lab pup than jumping on a kitty in a quilt?
Well, now that I have accomplished my button, it is off to organize my shed. It has become extremely unorganized and I can not ever find anything that I need. At this point, I'm not really sure what's out there. I am just praying to God that I do not find any small animals. As much of an animal lover as I am, I just hope they aren't living in my shed underneath boxes. Who comes up with these tasks?  I guess I always need something to accomplish.

Wow, I'm able to text blogs now. Amazing.

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Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

My New Crush

Tootsie Rolls. How long has it been since you ate a tootsie roll? I hadn't even thought about these since years ago, more than likely the last time I went trick-or-treating. That is until one of my students gave me a box of them for Christmas. At first, I was thinking, great, tootsie rolls; reese cups would have been better. But then I ate one. It's a little slice of heaven. One reason being, they are low calorie candy!!! I did a little research and you can eat six little rolls for only 140 calories. How perfect.

Although, I almost made a fool out of myself in my joy of rediscovering tootsie rolls. Tonight, when I was leaving for the gym, I thought to myself, "I'm always a little nausous after doing the ellipitical for 45 minutes. Maybe I should bring a few tootsie rolls to give me a little something afterwards so I don't feel queasy." So I put a few in my pocket.

Well, as I was about to get on the elliptical, pulling off my jacket, tootsie rolls started to fall out of my pocket. Luckily, I caught them before they fell across the floor. How embarassing. I can just see the ripped dude behind me on the tread mill thinking, "Oh yeah, a workout will never help that booty with candy falling from her pocket."

500 Days of Summer

I don’t think that this movie received the credit that it deserves. I saw it previewed several times, but never heard much about it past that. My mom asked for it for Christmas and I was glad to buy it for her. We watched it the other night and I fell in love. Rarely does a movie come along that speaks to what life is really like.

Typically there are the silly fairy tale love stories that allow us to believe in unrealistic love. Like if you really do get the chance to speak to the guy again, meeting in the street with a coffee in hand, that he will confess that he has always loved you and never meant to let you go. Nope, doesn’t happen that way to most of us. This movie is a testament to how it is for the rest of us. We fall in love, think that FINALLY, we have “the one", the one to take us out of the horrible dating market of cheesy pickup lines and unclassy dates involving a quick jump from a moving car to save yourself from an obligatory kiss.

This movie is a testament to finding that love and losing it. Of course, you want it to end happily with the guy and the girl in love, but instead, it just doesn’t. It ends the way that life ends, with one of them being forced to heal a heart.

Oh, and the soundtrack is beautiful!!! Regina Spektor, The Smiths, Hall and Oates, Feist. This is going to be a gotta have.

Emmett Otter’s Jug Band Christmas

For years, this has been a family tradition at Christmas; the Emmett Otter’s Jug Band Christmas movie must be watched. For the past few years I think I’ve been able to evade this tradition. I was informed Christmas Eve that I am usually asleep or reading at the point that everyone watches it. Well, this year I succumbed and watched with my family.

It really is a cute muppet movie that bases it’s story line on the O’Henry’s short story, “The Gift of the Magi.”  The best part was at the end when my brother suggested we watch the Bloopers. Who would guess that a muppet movie would have Bloopers. It had us all crying from laughing so hard.

My favorite Christmas gifts

As always this Christmas, I was spoiled rotten. But it’s always fun to spoil others rotten as well. I can’t wait to have kids some day for that reason. I imagine that it will be so exciting to see my children opening up Christmas presents. I keep finding myself coming up with great ideas on what to buy people for Christmas still, forgetting that Christmas is over. I guess I’ll have to focus on birthdays now.

Here are a few of my favorite Christmas presents this year.

This is a laundry bag, embroidered with my initial that I received from Alicia. I had never thought about bringing a bag for my dirty clothes on my travels. What a great idea! This is a book bag from Cara that she purchased off of etsy.com. I think that etsy might end up being my new guilty pleasure. I am going to start carrying my books everywhere with me. Maybe then I’ll get more read. Cara also gave me this yummy lotion, Sweet Nag Champa Love . The smell of this lotion takes me back to my days in college where Nag Champa was burned in most dorm rooms, trailers, and apartments. It still has that strong memory sense for me whenever I smell it. I love how the girl who makes this lotion describes it, “Great for everyday use, but especially great for date nights or occasions when you want your skin to slip softly through the hands of a lover!”

 The Shack is a book that my mom gave me. It’s one that I have had recommended to me numerous times from several different people. After reading it, my aunt commented to my mom that one of the main characters reminded her of me because of their forgiving nature. It’s kept my curiosity ever since.

This is a ridiculously simple baseball cap that I have pined over for about six months now. I saw a girl on the beach with it on this past June and have admired it ever since. Why? I can’t explain. It’s simple, it’s beige, it’s classic.

This is a Tervis Tumbler that I received from my mom. It keeps your drinks cold or hot, without condensation. That’s a big deal in the heat down here. Ice melts in mere seconds. I love this and have a feeling I will be purchasing more! 

Finally, and most importantly, there is my new laptop from Daddy/Santa. I didn’t realize how much fun I would have with word processing and the internet at my fingertips. I’ve been using the excuse for not writing anything due to the uncomfortable place that my desktop computer is in my home. The last thing I want to do at night is to perch at the computer desk where my arms go numb from typing. So along with this glorious present, I must begin writing!!

What a Merry Christmas!!

Dog Park on Christmas Day

Recently Mom found a dog park here in Destin. My parents had taken their dogs out there before, but didn't get to spend much time there. After a full day of all the dogs together in the house, it was apparent that we needed to take them out to run. It was either that, or Coen was going to bring down the Christmas tree (which he had already attempted once). We loaded up the whole gang, Christmas scarves and all. It was a great day. The area that was fenced in was so huge; there was about an acre for them to run and chase each other. Ely, being the neurotic little guy that he is, chose to stand in the middle of the pond, splash water, and bark. They all ran their butts off. After being rinsed off and dried, we took them home. Since then there hasn't been much movement. Most all of them are sacked out somewhere. Such a great Christmas day for us and the pooches!!

Yeah!!! New laptop for Christmas. Now I can keep up with my blog AND possibly have the motivation to start writing a book!!